Parenting Tip: Using Find My iPhone to locate a misplaced iOS device

We've read countless stories about Find My iPhone and how it has helped police recover a stolen iOS device. The service is great for this type of field work, but did you know that Find My iPhone can help you find an iOS device that's been misplaced around your house?

If you are a parent of little ones, you undoubtedly have experienced that frustrating moment when you need to leave for an appointment and can't find your iPhone. You remember placing your phone on your desk, but it's now missing because your tot has snatched it and casually tossed it aside. You try to interrogate your little one to find out where he or she left your iPhone, but all they do is point to their cup or the potty.

One easy way to locate an iPhone that's been stashed in a toy box or dropped behind the couch is to use the "Play Sound" feature of Find My iPhone. It's a no-frills locator beacon for your iOS device.

To find your phone, you need to login to iCloud on your computer by going to icloud.com and entering your Apple ID credentials. After you login, you can click on the Find My iPhone icon to view all your iCloud devices, including your missing iPhone, on a map. You can also follow the same procedure described below using the Find My iPhone app on an iPad or another iPhone.

Once you have found your iPhone on the map, select it to open a small box with the name of the device and details about when it was last located. You can then click on the "i" in the corner of this box. This "i" stands for information and clicking on it opens a small window with several options to let you locate or lock down a missing device. In this article, I am focusing on the "Play Sound" option that'll let you play a sound on your missing device.

When you click or tap on "Play Sound," your iPhone immediately starts beeping with a loud, resounding beep. It continues to beep until you find your device and turn off this beacon. This beeping sound is loud enough that it won't be muffled by a couch cushion or anything else that may be hiding your iPhone.

It's not the traditional usage of the Find My iPhone service, but it works well for iPhones and even iPads that have gone missing in your house or car. I've used it successfully dozens of times since this feature debuted a few years ago.